Twins successfully separated

A mother has described her joy after a successful operation to separate her conjoined twins. Rosie and Ruby Formosa, who were born joined at the abdomen and shared part of the intestine, needed an emergency operation to separate them.

The twin are doing well and have been described as "normal bubbly babies," despite warnings that survival chances were low.

Mother Angela, 32, said: "At an early pregnancy scan they said the twins looked very close together so I went to King's College for another scan.

Rosie Formosa, who was successfully separated from her twin sister after the girls were born. Credit: Medical Illustration/PA Wire

"Between 16 and 20 weeks we found out that they were joined - I didn't know what to think, I was shocked and I felt sad.

"We didn't know what to expect until they were born - the doctors could not tell where they were connected.

Ruby Formosa is now 12-weeks-old and she and her sister have been described as "normal bubbly babies". Credit: Medical Illustration/PA Wire

"They decided to deliver them early at 34 weeks. I went into University College Hospital and had the C section and the doctors decided that the girls should go for their operation quite soon, within a couple of hours they had been taken to GOSH.

"I stayed at UCH overnight then discharged myself the next day so I could be with the girls."